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HomeFeatured ArticlesGoMechanic Fun ReadsBajaj PTV (Personal Transport Vehicle) | A Qute Car from the 80s

Bajaj PTV (Personal Transport Vehicle) | A Qute Car from the 80s

We all know about the Indian motorcycle manufacturer, Bajaj very well. The bikes such as Pulsars have always been a great pick for the motorcycle enthusiasts across the country. Bajaj has also been a prominent player in the auto-rickshaw segment. Recently, Bajaj also launched a new mini-vehicle named Qute. But this is not the first time the motorcycle company has come up with something of this kind. There was another mini car or vehicle launched in the 80s by Bajaj known as PTV. Let’s have a look at the piece of history.

Bajaj PTV (Personal Transport Vehicle) | A Qute car from the 80s
Bajaj PTV (Personal Transport Vehicle) | A Qute car from the 80s

The 1980s – Bajaj needs a new vehicle

Bajaj was a prominent player in the market for auto-rickshaws at that time. But the government had imposed some restrictions on the manufacturing of these vehicles. So, in order to keep up with the demand while following the rules, Bajaj Auto decided to make a car out of the autos.

Bajaj PTV vs Maruti 800 - Size Comparison
Bajaj PTV vs Maruti 800 – Size Comparison

This is when the Bajaj PTV was designed and made. What were the major changes? Have a glance.

The journey from an auto to a car

It was pretty simple. All the company had to do was make a vehicle that was closed, have doors for entry and exit and look more like a car. The Bajaj PTV was based on the frame of auto-rickshaws. The frame was cut down and the standard auto handlebars were replaced with the rack and pinion steering wheel to give a car feel.

Another minicar: 1949 Meera Minicar | A Micro Car Made in India

This PTV was powered by a 150cc engine that could make the car reach top speeds of over 50kmph. The three-wheeled car/vehicle was able to deliver a fuel efficiency of more than 26 kmpl. A total of around 25 prototypes were built. Out of these, 15 were sold to officials and 2 were kept for testing. Initial prototypes were 4-seater while later on 2 seating option was added.

What was the need for Bajaj PTV?

Bajaj PTV
Bajaj PTV

One reason has already been mentioned above. Mr Ashok Sarwade, an engineer of the R&D team at Bajaj said that at that time, people had to wait for a long time in order to get a new car, it was a time of Quota Raj. The price gap between scooters and small cars was really huge. This is when the R&D department of the company decided to give the Indian customers a small family car with appropriate safety and economical drive stats. That is the reason Bajaj PTV came into existence.

This is what Bajaj is known for: Bajaj Pulsar | The History of the Fastest Indian

The interior
Bajaj PTV The interior

Just like Qute, Bajaj PTV also had auto start facility but the four-gear system was mounted to the floor as to the dash-mounted in Qute. Even though the car was made, it was never able to reach the production stage, reason currently unknown.

Bajaj did really try to get the segment and reach more Indian customers with this minicar. The car if launched would have cost around ₹25,000 at that time, which was very less as compared to the prices of cars being sold at that time.

Read this: Bajaj Qute | Can it become the Future of Public Transport?

Image source and Information [1]

Ritvik Gupta
Ritvik Guptahttps://gomechanic.in/blog
Ex-Technical Content Developer at GoMechanic | Automobile enthusiast with a knack to decode it for everyone | Automobile Engineer by passion

3 COMMENTS

  1. Wow .. was not aware of this, this could have been a game changer in those time.. now the product would not work considering how nano couldn’t make a greater impact

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